Known in the art is cooking vessel or baking vessel, such as a cooking pot or pan, for preparing food. Such a cooking vessel is often used with a cooking utensil, for example, to stir the content, to taste the food, or to dispense the food from the cooking vessel. Once the utensil has come into contact with the food, it typically retains some of the food, namely fluids, sauces or the like, which may drip or soil a surface on which it is laid. Thus, a plate or other recipient is usually required to catch the dripping food or avoid dirtying a work surface. The end of the utensil may be laid on plate with the stem of the utensil extending therefrom. At the very least, resting a utensil usually takes up some of the workspace around the cooking area. In some cases, a user will rest the utensil against a side of the cooking vessel to leave the working end of the utensil in the vessel. This may undesirably heat the utensil, prevent from properly covering the pot with a lid, interfere with the cooking process, etc.
Known to the Applicant are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,924,592 (HIERONYMUS) and 5,678,790 (DWYER), as well as United States patent applications No. 2007/0289981 A1 (SHAW) and 2007/0210094 A1 (KUTSCH) which are directed to various pots or pans, wherein the handle is adapted to support a cooking utensil. However, the pots or pans do not hold the utensil, in that the utensil is not secured in a stable position, it only rests on the handle. Thus, a wrong move may easily throw the utensil out of position. Thus, according to the systems taught by DWYER, SHAW and KUTSCH, a special precaution and care must be taken during cooking to avoid displacing the utensil with respect to the handle of the cooking pot or pan. A similar product is also known to the Applicant and shown at the following website: http://www.wearever.com/WearEver/Cookware/RealEasy/Pages/RealEasy.aspx.
Moreover, the cooking pot of KUTSCH is provided with a pivoting support member located on the handle, which entails a more complex and costly manufacturing of the cooking pot, and which may also be awkward during usage. Similarly, DWYER discloses the need for a number of components additional to a convention pot or pan. Furthermore, in the case of SHAW, teeth project from the utensil to secure it to the handle. These teeth may interfere with the normal usage of the utensil.
HIERONYMUS is directed to a cooking pot assembly, adapted to rest a cooking utensil on the handle of the cooking pot and to hold the utensil in place by positioning the lid on the pot. The utensil is configured to fit under the cover. Thus, the cover is required to secure the utensil. Indeed, a skilled reader would understand that upon lifting the cover, the utensil would easily slip into the cooking pot or at the very least be unstable.
Also known to the Applicant is Japanese patent application No. JP2000070162 (A) (SUGIYAMA et al.), as well as international patent application No. WO 97/06719 A1 (MUNARI). However, the teachings of the aforementioned documents also suffer from drawbacks, as will be apparent in view of the following explanations.
SUGIYAMA teaches a cooking pan, wherein the handle is provided with an opening located near the base of the handle for the purpose of suspending a spatula above the cooking pan. When the spatula is thus held by the opening, the blade of the spatula is raised with respect to the stem, to provide sufficient space above the container of the pan, for a lid to be placed thereon. The opening being located near the base may be undesirable for a number of reasons, including weakening of the handle, a necessity to redesign the handle and attachment to the container of the pan and increased risk of burning a user when handling the suspended spatula since the holding point is very close to the heated pan and/or food. The proximity of the opening with the base may also lead to added complexity and cost at manufacture, additional cleaning requirements, diminished aesthetic appeal, etc. Moreover, the raised configuration of the spatula when it is held may cause food remaining on the blade to drip towards the handle, which may in turn soil the handle, or even a surrounding surface, cause burns, etc.
MUNARI also teaches a similar cooking pan, wherein the handle is provided with an opening located near the base of the handle, which therefore presents corresponding drawbacks, similarly to SUGIYAMA. Moreover, the opening is formed along a longitudinal axis of the handle which may involve an added complexity for the manufacture of the article, as well as for cleaning and manipulation of the mechanism.
Hence, in light of the aforementioned, there is a need for an improved system which, by virtue of its design and components, would be able to overcome some of the above-discussed prior art concerns.